Social media and mobile technologies within crisis communications continue to be one of the focused areas in both in research and in practice. Understanding the core principles of effective crisis management and communication as well as how to adapt these to the specific social mediums is both an art and a science in many ways. Numerous reports have come out discussing the impact of social media on crisis and disaster situations, including the recent report from the Congressional Research Service just a few weeks ago. Mnay professionals and organizations have various views of what social media can do in a crisis situations, both positive and negative.
There are certainly many apps and other resources from social media and mobile technologies that can be accessed during a crisis situation – from a natural disaster such as a hurricane to other manufactured events that cause negative emotional harm to others. The only thing to keep in mind is the fact that while these tools are cutting edge and helpful for crisis communication professionals and intended audience members, these tools may not always work in various situations. No power, no service, and not knowing how to use the technology are just some of the challenges for professionals to face right now with new media and technology tools.
Many case studies have focused on the use of new media in various situations from natural disaster events like the recent Hurricane Irene hitting the US to the tsunami in Japan and the riots in Egypt. Other interesting case studies to look at includes the Toyota Recall, the American Red Cross Twitter update situation, and many more.
The key thing here in order to be proactive in addressing mobile apps and social media in a crisis is through education. Professionals and others associated with the crisis need to make sure that they are on top of the latest technologies as well as have the experience in implementing them in various scenarios. Leadership for these teams need to make sure to curate and connect this information to their network of professionals working on the crisis situation before, during, and after a crisis. The Emergency 2.0 Wiki is a good resource for professionals to have on the go and before a crisis or emergency hits. This information needs to not only be available in person, but also online through an Intranet format for people to go to get access to more information. Monitoring what is being shared and discussed are also key components to note as being important as well when it comes to effective crisis communication efforts.
More research is being done in this area along with an increased amount of discussion currently happening in the professional world as well. As more people become part of the conversation, new ideas and perspectives have emerged to help better understand all of the elements and issues to take into consideration in this specialized area within crisis communications. What we have to do as professionals is to continue to have these conversations, share our knowledge and experiences with others to formulate best practices, and continue to mentor and train others coming up on how to best employ the latest emerging technologies strategically and effectively in crisis situations.
Hope you all are having a great day.
Best Wishes,
Karen
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